Screenlife raised $7 million in angel financing in 2003, bringing total funding in the company to $10 million. That same year the company inked a major distribution and marketing deal with Mattel, which propelled "Scene It?" into large retail outlets such as Target and Toys "R" Us.

The games are now sold in more than 50,000 retail locations in 28 countries.

Retail sales of the game reportedly exceed $100 million annually, peaking around $250 million a few years ago. But the company's revenue is below the $100 million figure.

It is unclear how Viacom's Paramount unit plans to integrate Screenlife, which already has content partnerships to use images from movies and TV shows from Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. and others.

The deal appears to be a positive return for the early investors.

It is also another example of a Seattle company that grew to prominence through angel financing rather than institutional venture capital.